AmazonSmile.com: What Is It, And How Does It Work? A Complete Guide

Table of Contents

Introduction:

AmazonSmile.com is one of the most accessible and affordable ways to give back to your favorite causes and organizations.

It’s hard to imagine a world without Amazon. Although the mega-retailer has only been around for a few decades, nearly one in three Americans subscribes to Amazon Prime. Shopping at Amazon is efficient and relatively affordable, and one way the company has worked to build charitable giving into its retail platform is by creating its AmazonSmile Foundation.

What is AmazonSmile–and should you be switching to the Smile platform? Here, we’ve laid out everything you need to know about the charitable foundation and why it might be worth signing up for Smile before making your next Amazon purchase:

What is AmazonSmile.com?

Amazon might get a lot of flack for some of its practices and company culture, but the AmazonSmile.com Foundation is objectively one of the best perks of buying from the online mega-retailer. Sign up for the AmazonSmile program, and every time you shop, Amazon will donate in your name, at no extra cost to you, to one of the charities of your choice.

About AmazonSmile:

The AmazonSmile Foundation typically donates 0.5% of the total cost of all eligible Amazon purchases to a charity or cause. While 0.5% may not seem like much at first glance, given that Amazon brings in over $385 million in revenue per day, the cumulative dollar amounts of charitable donations can really add up.

AmazonSmile is not intended to replace your existing charitable donations or volunteer work, but it is a simple and effective way to increase your contributions without giving any extra thought (or opening your wallet), especially if you’re an Amazon Prime member who is already shopping regularly on Amazon.

How does AmazonSmile work?

The AmazonSmile Foundation is designed to be seamless on the consumer side, making it really easy for shoppers to donate to their favorite cause without a second thought. The platform looks and feels the same as the regular Amazon website, except by shopping on https://smile.amazon.com/; 0.5% of the total cost of every eligible purchase will go to your pre-selected charity of choice.

It’s important to note that although you select the charity and your purchases qualify for the donation, your monetary donations will not be eligible for a tax deduction because you’re not donating money from your wallet.

How to sign up for AmazonSmile:

Signing up for AmazonSmile is quick and easy, and once you set it up the first time, you won’t have to think about it again. All you have to do is visit https://smile.amazon.com/ and sign in with your existing Amazon account. From there, you’ll be prompted to select from a list of hundreds of eligible charitable organizations and causes. Choose the cause you’re most passionate about, and you’re good to go. The only caveat is that you’ll have to remember to check out directly at https://smile.amazon.com/ to ensure your purchase qualifies.

If you shop on the Amazon app more than the browser, you can still sign up and use AmazonSmile just as quickly. All you have to do is click on the main menu and select AmazonSmile. You’ll be prompted to choose your favorite charity, and then you can click through to turn the AmazonSmile feature on. After the feature has been activated, every future purchase you make through the app will qualify for Smile.

Conclusion:

This article has helped you learn more about AmazonSmile and how it works. Now that you are aware of all the basics, you will have no trouble setting up your AmazonSmile account and getting a step closer to making the world a better place. This article helped you with your query.

linda